Be My Angel
by silentring
Summary: An angel who needs his wings back to keep his freedom must help a boy on earth find happiness with the one he loves in order to regain them. Problem is, the angel and the boy don't exactly get along...well, not at first.[KyoxYuki] [Slash!]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine.

Before you start this, warning: this will be boy and boy, you know S L A S H, hence the penname...boys almost kissing, boys actually kissing, etc, etc...boys in compromising situations...etc, etc. If it's not your thing/ you are offended by such reading, please don't read it.

As a boy who enjoys kissing boys, however, I have to admit, I don't understand it being offensive. :P

That said, leave a review on your way out if you can! Thanks.

* * *

Be My Angel

* * *

Red-orange eyes widened wider than they should have scientifically been able to.

He had to _what_?

By _when_?

"I have to _what_? By _when_?" Kyo all but raged...and raged.

"Now Kyon—"

"And don't call me 'Kyon'!" he cut his infuriatingly calm superior off in a huff. Said superior pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a slight smile that said 'trust me' and made 'Kyon' feel like doing the exact opposite. "You're not serious," Kyo added, a note of desperation making its way into his anger. His superior arched a brow, still smiling.

"I'm not?" he asked, leaning his chin leisurely on his hands as if to say 'try me'. Kyo ran a hand exasperatedly through his hair, the oddest shade of orange, but it seemed to work for the disgruntled angel.

"Shigure..." Kyo shook his head and planted his hands on his side of the low coffee table.

"Kyoonnnn.." Shigure, replied back, unfazed. Kyo let out a grunt of reluctant acceptance and turned away fast, crossing his arms, undoubtedly in a bit of a pouting state. Shigure had the good nature, or lack of sense, to laugh.

"Stop laughing you stupid dog!" Kyo bit out. "This isn't funny! This is heinous! I can't do that...it's impossible...without my power?" The fiery young man whirled on Shigure who held up his hands in mock peaceable behavior.

"Now, now, it's not 'impossible' Kyon," he said, blatantly ignoring Kyo's demand for the destruction of the nickname...just as he'd been ignoring him for the past century or so. But that was the way with supernatural beings, especially heavenly ones...especially immortal ones. Such things became the only things one could count on for amusement...

"I'm supposed to help someone find true happiness? How the Hell am I supposed to do that when I'm just the same as them? Because, and tell me if I'm wrong, stupid dog, but if what you're saying is true, then I can't use magic, can't hear people's thoughts, can't do anything the Angel of Love finds just a little bit handy in getting his job done!" Kyo stood on the low table now, looming over Shigure in another bout of cat-like displeasure. One could almost see his hair standing on end...almost.

"Well," Shigure tapped his nose as if in thought, "You'll just have to be smart about it Kyon! I know you can do it," Shigure said and Kyo, for his part, deflated like a popped balloon, head hanging.

"You're impossibly discouraging," Kyo muttered.

"You say that word too much Kyon!" Shigure stood and patted the disgruntled angel on the back, a little too hard evidently as he sent Kyo flying face-forward down onto the ground...or in this case, the table. "Impossible? Well, I hope not. It's the only way you'll earn your wings back. It's the only way you can stay free, Kyo," Shigure said and his face was serious for once. Kyo groaned and pulled himself up off the table and rubbed his arms absently.

Free...

Yes... that was the reason.

He couldn't go back...back there. And to stay out of there...he needed his wings.

Well then.

He turned to Shigure, whose expression showed tones of concern and sadness, a couple things the superior tried not to let through very much. But this was significant. As much as he teased the orange-haired one, he cared about him. And if he lost his wings forever...then that one would have him under his power.

_That_ one...

Eyes as black as nothingness...and no soul to speak of..._that_ one.

Shigure closed his eyes. That one even made him uncomfortable.

"Oy, well…can it be anyone then?" Kyo asked in half-mumble, half-complaint. Shigure snapped back to attention, walking around the table to the door to another area, gesturing for Kyo to follow.

"Actually, that one chose the boy for you," Shigure replied, walking through several corridors, turning down corners until Kyo was in a space he didn't recognize and going in a door he'd never seen. The insides of this place looked exactly as normal as any house...wood everywhere, rice-paper thin walls, and so on. But this room seemed to be made of marble, or from what Kyo could tell at least, peeking over Shigure's shoulder. "Come on Kyonnnn!" Shigure pulled Kyo in who briefly thought: not the nickname again...someday I'll get you, stupid dog.

He didn't really mean it of course...but sometimes...

"Here it is Kyon!" Shigure pointed at what looked like a computer screen floating in the middle of the room. Nothing else occupied it, other than their bodies. Kyo eyed it with some misgiving.

"Here what is?" he asked, frowning. Shigure gently tapped the screen.

"Wakey, wakey!" Shigure coaxed the screen and Kyo rolled his eyes, face plain with some amount of suffering.

"Don't talk to it, stupid dog," Kyo practically whined, but not quite, as it came out more of a resigned sigh. But then the screen flickered and an image began to sharpen into comprehensible lines. Kyo blinked. Okay, fine.

"See?" Shigure smirked his most triumphant smirk possible, which Kyo brushed off as he watched the image come into complete focus. It was a very pretty high school girl with short silvery hair and violet eyes, walking down a sidewalk underneath a row of Sakura trees.

"I thought you said the assignment was a boy," Kyo remarked offhandedly. Shigure's glasses took on an impish glint.

"I did."

"That is not a boy!" Kyo protested, shaking a finger in disbelief. "Look at...at...well, just look at him!" Kyo finished, well aware of his lack of proof, and trying to pretend he wasn't. Shigure snickered.

"He is rather pretty," Shigure baited.

"I didn't say that!" Kyo took the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

"Mmmmhmmm," Shigure said in his trademark 'uh-huh, yeah, suuureeee' manner. Kyo fairly steamed.

"I do not think that…that _boy_ is pretty, got it, dog?" Kyo stomped over to Shigure who shrugged idly.

"Alright...Kyon," he grinned.

"Tcha, whatever. Fine, he's it? Where is he? How do I get there? I'll have my wings back before the end of the week and then I'm coming after you, dog!" Kyo spat, in full-rant mode now. Shigure glanced upward innocently.

"Oh, we've arranged it well for you. You could say you're just going to drop in on him," Shigure replied.

"Drop in on him?" Kyo repeated blankly.

**-------------------------------- X X X X X X -------------------------------------**

Down on Earth Yuki Sohma was on his way home. Student Council had run late and the sun was already half way below the horizon, but Yuki didn't really mind. This was one of the most peaceful times of day, one of the few for him, and walking under the Sakura trees was pleasant enough.

The silver-haired prince paused in his walk, lost in thought just a bit. For some reason, he wondered how the main house was doing…not that they were particularly close, but he did think about it from time to time. He'd finally left the main house to live as well as he could on his own in the middle of last year, his first real triumph...not that he felt good about it. But it had been necessary. A slight shudder ran through his slender frame.

Necessary.

But again, it wasn't a success he would consider 'good' or something to be proud of. It was just something that had to be done.

And anyway, Yuki couldn't really remember the last time he felt 'good' about something.

A sigh escaped him just as a single Sakura petal decided to drift down and waver in front of his violet eyes. Without thinking, he gently plucked it out of the air. Soft and gentle, he'd always liked this time of year. It was one of the few things that stood out in a bright way in his life.

But maybe he wasn't being fair. He did do well in school, excelled in fact. Every one of his peers admired him, older and younger, boys and girls. He had more romantic possibilities than he could count too.

He laughed softly to himself. That last bit was a bit pointless though. For some reason he'd never had any interest in any of the girls—or boys for that matter—who had confessed to him. Always the prince, he turned them down flawlessly but…well...if he didn't like someone, he didn't like them.

Yuki wasn't sure why, and worried sometimes maybe he'd be alone forever.

But then again, he preferred solitude a lot of the time. Sometimes people were just too loud, too noisy, or, he admitted, too stupid. He didn't mean to be arrogant, but his tolerance for idiocy ranged from low to non-existent, and that was just how it was. Seeing how many people admired him, however, it didn't seem to matter to most.

Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts and any traces of feeling, Yuki continued walking. The sun was all the way gone now, soft night settling in with a cool breeze as the stars began to fade into view. Keeping his eyes to the sky as he walked, Yuki absently began to count the stars. He'd played this counting game for as long as he could remember...it being another one of the few things that calmed him.

"…eighteen, nineteen, twen—" Yuki frowned as he stopped walking and counting entirely. One of the stars seemed to be bigger than the others...and slightly orange…?

What the—a person?

No.

Yuki rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked back up.

Yep, a person...with orange hair...and...glowing?

Yuki shut his eyes tight and all but glared up at the sky, daring it to show him something so absurd a third time. But he really didn't have time to register what he'd seen because something heavy and warm bowled him over.

With a grunt Yuki felt himself fall and hit the ground to the side of the sidewalk, soft grass luckily. Air knocked out of him, he felt dazed as he also was aware of the weight on him shifting and...cursing?

"Goddamn bastard dog...I'll kill that…" and it continued as Yuki blinked to help his vision re-focus on the source of obscenities. It was a boy, his age, maybe a tad older with very distinctive orange hair, and a rather irate expression. Eyeing the stranger curiously, Yuki began to try and fabricate reasons he thought he saw this person falling out of the sky, which of course was preposterous. No one falls from the sky.

Right?

"Who are you?" Yuki asked at last, rubbing the back of his head a bit ruefully. It was going to be sore in the morning and letting this strange fellow go on ranting with curses that would make a sailor cry wasn't going to give anyone any answers. Said fellow turned his red-orange scowl toward Yuki, who for whatever reason, wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"...drop in," the fellow half-laughed to himself a bit madly. "Drop in! Drop in on you! Hahaha...stupid dog I'll kill you!" he shook a fist at the sky. Yuki resisted the urge to simply avert his eyes and walk away...barely. He opened his mouth to ask again but shut it when the orange-haired boy stopped laughing suddenly and approached him rather stiffly. "So you're the one, eh?" he tilted his head to one side and Yuki was well conscious of the fact that he was now being examined...very closely.

"Hey, stop that! Who _are_ you?" Yuki backed away, somewhat miffed and increasingly irritated. Kyo began to pace back and forth, back slightly hunched.

"A little girly, but girls go for that, right? Aw who cares...damn that dog. I don't have my powers, but I have all the time I need, well not really but...this _might_ work...this will _never_ work...damn that dog..." the boy was muttering at light-speed. Yuki rubbed his temples with a deep sigh.

"Would you stop pacing? You look like a panicky cat or something," Yuki grumbled, but the boy heard.

"What's your name?" the boy asked.

"I've been asking you that for the past ten minutes!" Yuki exclaimed, losing his infamous cool for once.

"I haven't even been here for ten minutes, pretty boy!" the orange-haired one retorted and crossed his arms. "Name's Kyo."

"Yuki," Yuki provided politely.

Awkward silence.

"So...where'd you come from anyway?" Yuki asked. Kyo pondered his choices.

Heaven didn't seem likely to persuade this character.

"I was..." Kyo trailed off. Damn. What could he say? Yuki scrutinized the conflicting emotions playing across Kyo's face and felt an unusual sense of amusement...not mean, but definitely amused.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Yuki smoothed out and turned to continue his walk home. Footsteps caught up to him quickly however. Violet eyes glanced sideways. "Why are you following me?" Kyo hunched his shoulders even more visibly.

_Like a cat_, Yuki thought again absently.

"...I...I..." Kyo's mind was a mess. Think, think! Why are you following him? Ah why didn't Shigure give more precise instructions? Oh that dog... What to say...what to say... Kyo muttered something.

"What?" Yuki asked, still walking.

"I said I'm sorry!" Kyo yelled loud enough for the whole block to hear. Yuki arched an eyebrow.

"Got it," he replied. Kyo scowled deeper. There was no way he would accomplish his assignment if he couldn't speak openly...of course there was no way he would accomplish his assignment if he was thought to be a complete lunatic either.

But he had little choice.

"I'm sorry I fell on you!" Kyo blurted out. Yuki's unreadable expression became tinged with a smirk...slightly.

"I heard you the first time," he said, turning a corner and soon entering the front courtyard to an apartment complex. Kyo followed, his inner battle making his facial expression fluctuate from dramatically angry to dramatically vexed to dramatically confused, and so on until he also blurted out the helpful statement of:

"I fell on you because I'm an angel from heaven and they took away my wings, or I lost them, whatever, you wouldn't understand, but I need to help you find someone and fall in love and have that person fall in love with you or I won't get my wings back!"

That stopped Yuki in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise, his back still to Kyo who stood huffing behind him from lack of air, since that had all been said in one breath.

"An angel?" Yuki repeated.

Kyo groaned mentally.

Here it comes, he thought...he's going to call me crazy and lock me out and put a restraining order on me.

"That's nice," Yuki said and entered the apartment complex. Kyo stood, staring dumbly a moment before dashing in after him. He barely made it to the elevator and into it as it closed. Yuki stared at him almost patronizingly.

"Look, I accept your apology, so just leave, alright?" Yuki suggested.

"I can't! Weren't you listening?" Kyo fumed. Maybe he'd rather have the damn boy call him a liar than ignore him...what was with this guy anyway? Kyo ranted on, "I'm an angel, a heavenly being, proof of supernatural existence!" Yuki turned leaned against the elevator wall heavily. This Kyo guy sounded serious...seriously nuts.

"Okay," Yuki said as the ding sound sounded and the elevator doors opened onto the ninth floor. Kyo, of course, followed him grumpily out of the elevator.

"Okay what?" Kyo prompted, hair rising visibly again.

"Okay, so do something. Prove it," Yuki faced him suddenly, so suddenly their noses touched. Kyo leapt back.

"Damn it, just believe me. I wouldn't tell you something that crazy if it wasn't true!" Kyo shouted, waving his arms frantically. He hated feeling desperate. First with Shigure and now this...this pretty boy? He wasn't going to take it.

"I don't see how I can, when what you say is scientifically ludicrous," Yuki replied coolly and walked down the hall, turning right at the corner. Kyo slapped his forehead, paused and followed...again.

"Okay fine, I'm a foreign exchange student and lost my host family and now I have nowhere to go and you're the first person I've run into who would even talk to me," Kyo rattled off one of the lamest excuses he knew existed, also one of the flakiest. This also, however, caught Yuki's attention, who paused with his hand on the doorknob to apartment number 9A.

_Floor 9, apartment 9_, Kyo mused absently.

"Those are both horrible explanations...stories...whatever," Yuki began without turning. Kyo, about to retort, stopped when Yuki continued, "But you seem to be trying to tell me you have nowhere to go. So you can stay here, if you want."

And with that, Yuki Sohma unlocked his door, and entered his apartment, leaving the door wide open and leaving Kyo staring disbelievingly after him.

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End Chapter One

Reviews are candy to me, and my sweet tooth is criminally at large, so if you've got a sec, drop me one. It's motivation, pure and simple.

-Riyu


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews! This chapter is mainly a bridge but it hints at future moments, etc, etc...so, go on...read.

Warning: you got this warning in the 1st chapter but, uh, SLASH!

Guess that's it.

* * *

_Be My Angel_

* * *

Kyo wondered if maybe this Yuki Sohma was stupid...or something.

"What are you? Stupid? You can't just let a stranger into your apartment! What if I'm...a crazy murderer, or a burglar, or a sexual predator, or—" Kyo's rant was cut short by a clearly annoyed Yuki dragging him into the apartment and slamming the door behind him.

"Try to be less noisy, stupid," Yuki said without looking at him and disappeared around the closest corner. From the following sound of the faucet running, Kyo guessed it was probably the kitchen. Feeling rather annoyed himself, Kyo all but crept up to the doorway leading into...the kitchen. Seems he'd been right.

"I don't get you," Kyo remarked, leaning in the empty doorway. Yuki shot him a look as if to say 'So?' and went back to setting a pot of water on the stove to boil.

In truth, Yuki had considered he might be doing something very stupid indeed. But one look and listen to the orange haired one had his concern dashed away. This guy was just too...loud and obnoxious were the words that came to mind...to be any of _those_, much less a...Yuki almost laughed…: a sexual predator.

A slight chuckle escaped the silver-haired boy. Kyo snapped to attention.

"What was that?" he scowled.

"Nothing...stupid," Yuki replied coolly and opened the refrigerator, rather blatantly ignoring Kyo, who was near to maxing out his anger levels.

"Listen you—" Kyo stalked over to Yuki who peered up at him, one hand holding the refrigerator door open, the other pulling out some...leeks. Kyo twitched and lost his words. "Erk..." Kyo barely managed to mumble before awkwardly turning right around and walking out of the kitchen. Yuki eyed the leeks in his hand.

_Useful_, he thought with an arched brow. _Funny...and useful._

"Ah..." Yuki set the leeks down on the counter and wandered over to the doorway, watching in slight amusement as Kyo stared blankly at a wall as if he was recovering from some horrific sight. "What did you say your name was?"

"...Kyo," he replied. Yuki tilted his head to one side. Was the orange-haired one...sulking?

"You don't like leeks." It was a statement, not a question.

"I hate them," Kyo corrected with a growl in his voice. Again, very cat like, Yuki thought and smirked.

"Right, baka-neko," Yuki said and slipped back into the kitchen.

"What did you call me?"

"B-a-k-a n-e-k-o...got it?" Yuki called from the kitchen, not doing anything to conceal the taunting there.

"Wha...I'm not some stupid cat! I'm an _angel_, damn it!" Kyo raved as he stormed back into the kitchen. "And I'm here to help you so why don't you—"

Yuki stuck the leeks in Kyo's conveniently open mouth.

A bit of a waste perhaps but...the expression on Kyo's face seemed well worth it.

He all but slithered to the floor. Yuki looked down at him.

"And very effective, I see," Yuki remarked dryly and tossed the leeks in the trashcan before digging around in the cupboard for some instant ramen, which seemed like the best he was going to be able to do tonight.

Later, after a reasonably decent meal of instant ramen and a few other things Kyo sat, shoulders hunched, staring out the window to Yuki's balcony. He sighed, leaning against the wall, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

He and the silver-haired one had not exchanged any more words after the leek incident so far. The feeling of the situation was bluntly awkward and Kyo, while wishing various forms of pain on Shigure, began to actually worry about accomplishing his assignment.

"Oy," he looked over at Yuki who sat on the sofa, legs curled up to his chest as he alternated with a book and a Japanese-to-English dictionary. Violet eyes glanced over the top of the book at Kyo.

"What?"

It didn't help that they really didn't seem to get along beyond Yuki's stupid—in Kyo's opinion—generosity of letting him stay there.

"Say it a little ruder why don't you? Geez," Kyo grumbled and turned back to looking out the window. This really wasn't his specialty.

His people skills sucked.

A lot.

This might have seemed strange for the angel of love, but really, if the truth was known, the past few centuries of love angels had been, more or less, social misfits with the personalities of squeaky doors. The rumor and myth on earth that the angel of love was some golden haired woman with beautiful wings and a glowing smile was just a bunch of lies Shigure had thought would be fun to feed to the human populace. After so many centuries of believing the lies, the lies had, for the humans, become as good as the truth.

Which only made more problems for Kyo, it should be noted.

Kyo, who knew, that on top of his unlikely story, his unlikely behavior—at least by an earth person's standards—had him more than less likely to be believed and probably inches away from some form of hostile commitment. He repressed a groan.

It couldn't get any worse.

_Kyon_.

No. It couldn't be.

Kyo's head snapped up and he looked around frantically earning him an arched brow from Yuki.

_Oh Kyonnnnnnnn._

It was.

"Shi-gure...?" Kyo bit out the name slowly. Yuki by this time had put his books down and now stared openly at the interesting one-sided dialogue.

A familiar laugh echoed through his mind and Kyo scowled.

_Hello, Kyon. _

"What do you want? Haven't you caused me enough trouble you and that damn Ak—"

_**Kyo!**_

Shigure's voice was uncharacteristically cold. Kyo cut himself off, and his face paled at what he'd almost done...almost said the name...that one's name. On the sofa still, Yuki's face flashed with brief concern. The orange-haired one's face had gone sheet-white. Quietly Yuki left the sofa.

"...what do you want, Shigure?" Kyo asked, noticeably quieter, head hanging. He didn't notice Yuki tentatively approaching him...quiet as a mouse.

_I've arranged it so that you're enrolled in the same high school as Yuki Sohma. You will attend. _

"What?"

_Kyon. It's supposed to be helpful. Did you think you could do anything if the only time you saw him was before and after school? _

Kyo's hunched shoulders slumped. Yuki crept closer.

"...fine...thanks," Kyo added the last bit. It was the best he could do. Shigure was sticking his neck out for his sake, he knew, even if the dog was insufferable beyond all reason most of the time. What he was doing was both reckless and gutsy, but Shigure had somehow always been able to get away with more than anyone else could in regards to...that one. That one, whose name was so potent that to simply say it would draw his unwanted attention, his cold black eyes...his heartless gaze.

_Cheer up Kyon, I think your assignment is worried. Go get 'em Kyon-Kyonnnnnnnn!_

And Shigure's presence was gone from his mind. Briefly Kyo wondered at the taunting tone Shigure had taken on. Sure the man liked to make fun but it had sounded like there was a definite double meaning there. However, he didn't have time to think about it much.

"Hey," Yuki's soft voice sounded from right behind him. Kyo jumped.

"W-what?" Kyo asked, fumbling in his mind already for an excuse as to why it seemed he'd been talking to absolutely nothing for the last five minutes.

"Who were you talking to?" Yuki asked, calm as ever.

"A dog," Kyo replied automatically and clapped his hands over his mouth. Did that make him sound even crazier? Probably.

But for some reason Kyo couldn't imagine, Yuki neither laughed nor shot him a 'You're more nutty than a pack of cashews' look. The silver-haired boy simply nodded, folding his arms gracefully.

Something in the back of Kyo's mind sparked…a touch of envy perhaps. It seemed everything this Yuki Sohma did—smile, scowl, turn, just stand still—had a grace to it. He was just that kind of person...the polar opposite of Kyo.

Despite his defensiveness Kyo couldn't help but ask, "You...believe me, that I was...who I am?" Violet eyes gazed levelly at him as Yuki tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Well, that's what you told me, isn't it?" he replied and went back to sit on the sofa, seeming to have discerned what he wanted from Kyo's expression. Kyo, however, after standing stock still for a second, stumped over to the sofa.

"Are you mocking me?" Kyo accused.

"No," Yuki said flatly.

"How can you believe me all of the sudden? I mean—" Yuki, without looking up from his book, stuck his free hand out to cover Kyo's mouth, muffling his rant. Yuki sighed, waves of irritation coming through now, loud and clear.

"Sit down and stop making so much noise, will you, baka neko?" Yuki groaned with a roll of his eyes. Kyo finally managed to detach Yuki's hand from over his mouth.

"I told my name is Kyo and I'm not a stupid cat, I'm an—"

"Angel," Yuki supplied seamlessly and then added with a hint of slyness, "If you don't shut up, neko, I can always go get some more leeks."

Silence.

Kyo mumbled something in coherent and sat on the other side of the sofa, arm draped over the edge.

He watched Yuki thumb through his book quietly. When the guy wasn't driving Kyo up a tree with his vague and semi-sarcastic remarks, he looked almost beautiful. This thought took Kyo by surprise but he chalked it up to nothing more than him tallying the pros versus cons to having this boy be the assignment. Kyo only admitted Yuki was attractive because this would help him get someone to fall in love with him faster and easier.

Yes, that was the only reason.

Or so Kyo told himself.

Yuki took that moment to glance over.

"What?" he asked, previous cocky tone gone, replaced by genuine curiosity.

"Nothing," Kyo said lamely and looked away quickly.

Yuki scrutinized his new housemate's profile for a moment. Strong jaw, smooth skin, fiery hair and eyes...the oddest shade really...slim frame...and a perpetual scowl, it seemed, made up most of Kyo. Somewhere in his eyes though, Yuki thought he saw something like fear and worry.

This Yuki would remember for later.

For now though, the two simply sat in silence, preoccupied with each other, and pretending not to be as Yuki pretended to focus on his book and Kyo pretended to space out.

**

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**

Whee, so nothing much there, but the set-up is necessary. Review anyway right? Pure bribery/motivation. That's what reviews are for me, I've come to the unabashed conclusion. Yeah, I'm one of those writers... -nervous laughter-

Next chapter? School...with Kyo and Yuki...and what's this...Yuki...jealous?

Heh.

-slashable Riyu


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: slash implied and in soon chapters, slashed up entirely so that's your warning, though if you've gotten to chapter three, you probably know that already.

More characters worked into this chapter, more things suggested, and we're getting closer to Kyo starting to actually TRYING to do his assignment, blah, blah, blah...

Tell me whatcha think!

Review button: Ooh me! Me! Pick me!

Heh! Onward to chapter three then?

* * *

**Be My Angel**

**Chapter Three**

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Yuki was ever so vaguely aware of sound, of a voice...a _loud_ one. Groggily he cracked one eye open to see a figure with fiery orange hair stalking catlike back and forth, talking to himself. But of course Yuki was only half aware of this, in the way that meant he _heard_ noise and was able to _discern_ from whence it came, which was bad news for Kyo.

"What does it take to wake you up!" The angel stomped over to Yuki whose blank visage only served to further rile up the orange one who waved a finger in the earth boy's face. "You, how can you _live_ on your own? I doubt you even—mph!" Brief but intense pain lanced through his face as Kyo went flying back to knock unkindly against the door and then fall over, as it was half open. Groaning he rubbed his jaw.

Who knew pretty boys hit so hard?

"Damn," Kyo muttered as the silver-haired one treaded heedlessly by him toward the kitchen, eyes conveying a previously absent alertness. He was awake...finally. Kyo had been trying to wake him up since his alarm rang about thirty minutes ago, not understanding that Yuki, knowing himself, set it a half hour earlier than necessary to compensate. He would find this out later and spend a good several half hours tearing his hair out over it, but again, that would come later.

"You should figure out what to do with yourself," came the calm and collected voice Yuki normally used, not the bleary _who the fuck are you_ voice he woke up with originally.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyo pulled himself to his feet, jaw still smarting something horrible, and completely unwilling to admit it.

"I mean," Yuki stared impassively over a box of cereal he had in his hand. It wasn't the typical food stuff to be found, but he was born with an almost insatiable sweet tooth and American cereals seemed to be a good cure for that in the morning. And how he hated the morning! So it served to pacify him a bit as well. "What are you going to do while I'm at school? Should I lock you in so you don't get lost?" His voice was airy and Kyo felt his right eye twitch slightly.

"Look! I don't have to—" Kyo stopped short, blinking in half disbelief, half surprise at Yuki's choice of night apparel. He really had been too busy with his aching jaw and rising temper to notice before now. The high school student was clad in lazy and loose pajama pants, plain light blue which suited him, Kyo thought, but didn't register entirely. It wasn't the pants that caught his attention though. Yuki's shirt...it was most definitely one or two sizes too big for him, the opening for his neck so wide it threatened to slide off his right shoulder like a little kid's might. And on the front was a disgustingly adorable, simple scribble—it could be nothing but a scribble Kyo mused—of a rat. Too cute for a rat, was Kyo's initial impression, but shrugged off the silly thought as Yuki, one hand on his hip, the other taking a spoon out of a drawer arched an elegant brow at him.

"You don't have to _what_?" He intoned and began to eat his cereal, eyes never leaving Kyo's, and the angel had the distinct feeling of a puppet that is asked to dance and knows he has no choice.

"I...I..." Kyo cursed under his breath and sat down across from Yuki. So busy staring at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them, he failed to notice as a smooth hand pushed an empty bowl to his side of the table. Only at the clink of the metal spoon falling against the porcelain did Kyo look up.

"Eat," was the bland order as Yuki turned to wash his own dishes. Grumbling incoherent things to himself, Kyo poured himself a bowl of whatever this cereal stuff was...these weird humans. Angels didn't _need_ food, but try telling Yuki Sohma that. Ha. He'd tried as much when dinner came around the previous night but to no avail. Kyo had the deepening suspicion that somewhere beneath that cool pretty boy exterior lived an ever lurking type A, mother hen personality. In silence he ate as Yuki walked into his room and out and into the bathroom and out and when he was finished Yuki was just fixing his school uniform tie. Running a hand through his hair, Kyo sighed and quickly picked up his bowl, washing it out and then walking over to lean against the arch between the kitchen and the living area. "What?"

Geez, Kyo scowled. He's not a morning person I guess...even when he's finally awake.

"I'm going too."

Explanation? Kyo didn't very well see why or how he should go about giving such a thing to his assignment. It was his business right?

"Fine." Yuki seemed to be on the same page as him, and Kyo, deciding for once to count his very, very numbered blessings, settled with a slight nod as they walked out the door.

The walk was a relaxed one oddly enough. They said very little, Yuki pointing out various things that would help Kyo know his way home if for some reason Yuki had to stay later, which was often the case. Kyo paid half-attention, not appreciating the bland gesture because to him it simply felt like he was being mothered. He had no desire for his assignment to have to coddle him. So thinking, he wore a decided frown most of the way to school, which only deepened into a scowl as they entered the high school gates.

A shriek...no, a swarm of shrieks greeted his sensitive ears and Kyo felt his spine tense as he hunched over and winced from the shrillness, one eye cracked open to witness the truly frightening scene before him.

Girls...girls of all shapes, all sizes, all classes, colors, and varying degrees of scary, had somehow managed to pile and group in front of the student council President, who, it seemed, was used to this. His patience, Kyo did not understand and found that this irritated him. Yuki waved and smiled as benignly as he might at a child to each of the girls, politely declining offers that ranged from 'may I walk with you?' to 'may I kiss your feet?' to 'may I cling obscenely to you so that it seems I am but an attachment to your own body?'

Orange-red eyes narrowed, and Kyo exhaled, annoyed. His sigh must have been louder than he thought. All eyes turned to him. They seemed just to notice the newcomer, the slightly out of place, not-dressed in uniform, roguishly handsome and noticeably discomfited newcomer. The eyes seemed to glint and Kyo took an unconscious step backward, having an imminent feeling of doom.

Yuki took this moment to brush a strand of hair behind his ear...so graceful, Kyo mused enviously again, but ignored the spark as their eyes met.

The onlookers seemed to notice.

"Yuki-kun is he your friend?"

"Sohma-kun, Sohma-kun is he a new student?"

"Yuki-kun who is he?"

"YUKI!" All the girls seemed to have some horrific sense of synchronization. Yuki blinked, accustomed to this. Kyo took another step backward, not used to it at all and damn sure he wasn't interested in being 'used to it' any time soon.

Not that he had a choice! Yuki quickly stepped back a foot and grabbed his arm none too lightly, whispering in his ear, "Stop being such a stupid cat and let's go. They're just girls." His hand on Kyo's arm was warm and when Kyo expected him to lift it, he didn't. He stared and his brow knit.

"I'm not a cat and if those are 'just girls' I think I'll change my mind and wait til you're out of school. See ya," he turned to go but Yuki's grip tightened.

"Come on kitty," was the half amused, half warning intonation as he dragged Kyo forward with him through the truly terrifying mass of females—surely the entire population of girl students...and Kyo suspected he saw some boys too on closer inspection. But this was all passing, as though Yuki said they were 'just girls' he seemed to be just as eager to get past them as Kyo was, which Kyo found interesting but kept to himself.

Didn't the prince like all of the attention he got? Obviously this was the norm. Again, jealousy reared its head and Kyo had the soft echo of a thought: he's lucky.

"Kitty?" Kyo bit out, eyes flashing as they entered the front hall, Yuki letting his hand finally slip imperceptibly off of Kyo's arm—and if Kyo noticed, he made no indication of it.

"Kitty, cat, Kyo...same thing," and here Yuki's lips curved upward just slightly, enough to push Kyo's buttons...more so than if he had simply grinned, because in that smirk was a challenge Kyo would come to recognize well. It seemed to say, because you're not man enough for anything else, are you, stupid cat?

What was weird, was deep down, Kyo didn't feel anything like real spite coming from this look Yuki gave him...what was weird was deep down, if Kyo took a moment, he felt something more like something he himself had just been feeling...distance...jealousy...

But in this first moment, this was such a ridiculous thought and Kyo played it off as such in true Kyo fashion.

"Damn rat lover!" Kyo spat and went as if to return this morning's earlier punch but Yuki only caught his hand with a grin too feral for a rat, and Kyo trembled in irritation. He was a heavenly being, damn it. Couldn't he win at anything? Just who...no _what_, was this Yuki Sohma?

But he'd have to wait for these kinds of answers.

"Sohma-kun?" an unusually gentle voice quavered a bit with nervousness and Kyo looked a little down and to their right. A slender girl with long chocolate brown hair and similarly colored doe eyes, fair skin and an entirely unimposing presence stared at the pair of boys, frozen in their almost-fight. Her eyes darted back and forth between them, quizzical, worried, and curious. She was not like those scary ones from before, Kyo noted with such intense appreciation it must have shown because he heard Yuki's soft, somewhat mocking laugh. Standing up and letting their hands drop to their sides, Kyo glanced at Yuki who shifted to stare softly at the girl with a ribbon in her hair...a pretty yellow one, with scalloped edges...which seemed to suit her. Kyo wasn't sure why he thought that, but he attributed it to his angel-inclinations which often helped him pick up on such things, since he himself was not quite so in-tune with strangers.

"Honda-san," Yuki greeted genially and Kyo found his breath catching. He'd seen Yuki smirk, yes, laugh, yes, chuckle yes, even look worried, yes. But a smile like this one, Kyo had never seen. It was kind, and open, unafraid, and unlocked...it was...what was the word? He must have been staring because those violet eyes penetrated his reverie with a look as Yuki asked him, "What?"

"Nothing," was the quick reply and Kyo looked pointedly at the girl Yuki had addressed as 'Honda-san'. Yuki cleared his throat a little sheepishly, seeming to just realize he'd let his own closeness with the girl make him forget proper protocol.

"Excuse me Honda-san for my rudeness. This is...my cousin, Kyo."

_Cousin_? Kyo kept his jaw from hitting the floor...only just.

"Hold on a sec, I am not—!" Kyo's rebuttal was cut delightfully short with a swift kick to his shin from Yuki, which went unnoticed by 'Honda-san'. He choked on his unsaid words and instead flowered fiercely at his 'cousin' who simply ignored him. Damn that rat.

"Not...?" Honda-san blinked in a way that Kyo understood to be cute and as he took in the image of the girl for the second time, he saw something sweet in her nature he couldn't quite put his finger on. This perhaps, softened his demeanor just slightly and he inclined his head slightly, eyes to the floor.

"Never mind," he muttered instead of ignoring her like he'd intended to do. "It's nothing."

"Kyo, this is Tohru Honda," Yuki continued on, his seamless voice smoothing all the rough edges Kyo had caused away like the folds in a sheet. A pang of inferiority lanced through him but since Kyo was not familiar with this, he found it easy, for the moment, to pretend it wasn't there.

"Pleased to meet you," Tohru bowed slightly. Kyo blinked. Yuki elbowed him. He returned the modest bow.

"Uh, yeah," he said and he could actually _feel_ Yuki rolling his patronizing eyes at him, but didn't turn to see it. "Same," he added lamely, but it was the best he could do.

"How is your grandfather, Honda-san?" Yuki asked politely, though whether it was because he sensed the unease or because he was only interested, Kyo couldn't say. The girl's bright eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as she smiled without reserve and nodded.

"Much better today, thank you Sohma-kun," she replied and they went on like that for a while, and occasionally she would let slip a soft giggle and less often but just as noticeably, Yuki would give _that_ smile. Something odd stirred in Kyo...he wasn't sure what exactly but as Yuki laughed at something Tohru said and smiled so kindly and widely that his eyes shut, so relaxed, he felt a faint heat spread through his cheeks.

All but mortified, and maybe that too, he brought a hand to his face and then rubbed his temples to get rid of such a sensation, as if it would help. In any case, it did draw the others' attentions.

"Honda-san, I'm sorry but would you excuse us? I need to show my cousin where the main office is located," Yuki offered a smaller, but no less gentle smile and Tohru was all too happy to step aside.

"It's not a trouble at all Sohma-kun. Kyo-kun, will you be staying here?" she turned those wide, innocent but knowing eyes on him and he found his words were lost.

"Uh, I think...so...I mean...yeah...I," Kyo wondered when he'd taken up stuttering. Yuki's soft expression had grown unreadable again in this small exchange between Kyo and Tohru as he absently tapped his fingers on his schoolbag, watching. Tohru laughed as Kyo continued to try and find a proper response, but it was a typical Tohru laugh—not at all mean spirited, just open and honest. Perhaps that was what was making him so uncomfortable, Yuki assessed blankly, a dull thud in his chest. But further speculation was put aside as a hand pressed on his shoulder and a loud voice greeted him cheerily.

"Yun-Yun!"

Yuki turned his head slightly to come nose to nose with the one, the only Vice President Kakeru Manabe, who, it should be noted, was wearing his usual look of mischief and amusement, all too ready for the surprises this day might bring.

"Manabe-san," Yuki blinked, eyes wide at the closeness. Completely unfazed, Kakeru straightened back up and waved a finger in Yuki's face, oblivious to the somewhat blank smile he was getting from Tohru and the stare of confusion he was getting from Kyo.

"Ka-ke-ru!" he corrected. "Man, you can't even call me by my first name? Yun-Yun...! Is it because we haven't shared enough male bonding time together? Is that it? Yun-Yun won't call me by my first name!" The presentation was melodramatic, but that self-same grin of Cheshire like quality never left the Vice President's handsome face.

"Sorry...Manabe-san," Yuki blinked yet again, still not able to completely understand or read his fellow student council member at all, yet finding he wasn't at all offended or estranged by his behavior either. Kakeru was lazy and a bit of a class clown, a devilish sort of good boy who did the right things with a little flare of the wrong...and he had a sort of natural...Yuki wanted to call it a glow. He had a sort of glow that seemed to attract people to him. This was his first year working in close quarters with him, but somehow Yuki felt something more familiar about Kakeru Manabe than he could articulate.

"You should be," was the petulant reply even as Kakeru's roving eyes landed on the long-suffering face of Kyo, who probably couldn't have looked any more doomed if he tried. "Who's this, Yun-Yun?" Kakeru's eyes shone and Yuki had a sinking feeling even before Kakeru added innocently, "Your boyfriend or something?"

Kyo sputtered. Tohru blushed and glued her eyes to the floor, flustered by Kakeru's commonly known candor. Yuki slapped a palm to his forehead and groaned.

"No Ka...Manabe-san," Yuki amended quickly and then, "This is my cousin Kyo. He's newly transferred. Kyo this is the student council Vice President Kakeru Manabe."

"Yo," Kyo nodded dully, barely over his shock and horror at Kakeru's previous suggestion and not feeling too friendly after it. Kakeru took no notice of Kyo's attempt to keep distance between them however and all but glided over next to him, hands behind his waist as he leaned forward, as if to inspect Kyo like a science experiment.

"Interesting. You don't look a thing like Yun-Yun...well, maybe, you got his good looks," Kakeru observed, nodding to himself, either completely unaware of the increasing awkwardness or completely uncaring of it.

"W-what? Hey stop that!" Kyo slapped Kakeru's hand away as he began to poke playfully at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" His offense-mode returned and Kyo took shelter in it, as he took a step back but leaned forward as if to attack. Kakeru only chuckled with a shrug.

"Just asking," he grinned and turned to Tohru. "Morning Honda-san, how are you?"

"Oh um, very well, thank you Manabe-san," Tohru bowed her head again and though Kakeru did not return the action, his smile softened. The girl seemed to have that effect on people; Kyo marked this in his mind for later as Kakeru turned his attention back to him, unfortunately. "So Kyon," he began.

A familiar twitch made itself known to Kyo who grabbed Kakeru by the collar of his shirt and dragged him nose to nose, scowling.

"It's Kyo," he said plainly. He was vaguely aware of Tohru tugging on his sleeve and asking him to please let the Vice President go.

"But I have to call you something. Yuki is Yun-Yun. Kyo is Kyon." This guy was unflappable. Having no real intentions of hurting him, Kyo just scoffed with a heavy exhale and shoved Kakeru aside, whose smile had not left even for a second.

"Whatever," Kyo said unhappily and shoved his hands in his pockets. Tohru, who looked beyond relieved, just shook her head and smiled.

"Manabe-san is a good Vice President," Tohru stated clearly, and this elicited a joyful sound from said Vice President, which caused a giggle from Tohru. "He's a little...er...less...organized than the others, but he is very enthusiastic," she elaborated.

"I doubt it. How would you know anyway?" He wasn't paying attention to his words, and didn't register the millisecond flash of sadness from the girl at his side. But someone else did. Tohru fidgeted slightly and forced a small laugh to cover her sudden insecurity.

"No really he is. Most people know. Um...right Sohma-kun?" she inquired and turned. At this Kyo's eyes wandered to Yuki, and he paused. Yuki looked...odd.

A severely heavy silence passed before the silver-haired one answered quietly.

"Ah yes, Honda-san..." Yuki said with his usual calm and then nodded his head a little. "Again, I apologize, you'll have to excuse us please...let's go," Yuki said and before Kyo could think on this anymore, the President grabbed his arm, steering him toward the office, or what Kyo assumed was a hall that led to the office.

As they rounded the corner, out of sight of Tohru and Kakeru, Kyo batted at Yuki's hold on him...or rather, snatched his hand and tried to remove it.

He couldn't.

How strong was this kid anyway?

"Would you let go already?" he said, and Yuki cast him a cold look.

"I'm not sure how long you intend to be here, cat, but understand something: Honda-san is a very kind, very...innocent person," Yuki said the words with a very strained voice, and Kyo wondered at the tension there as Yuki continued, "She smiles for everyone, so don't be an idiot when you're talking to her." With that Yuki released his grip on Kyo, shoving him away and stalking on ahead, clearly ruffled. Kyo dashed to catch up.

"What the hell? What'd I do? Wait, that's not even...you can't tell me how to act!" Kyo was now falling in stride beside the still silently fuming Yuki, hands clenched at his sides as he added, "What makes you think you can tell me what to say or do, huh? Damn rat."

And suddenly Kyo felt two warm hands forcibly grip his shoulders and push him back against the jarringly cold, hard surface of a row of lockers, one of the locks digging into his right lower back. The back of his head knocked roughly against the metal, scraping slightly and Kyo hissed under his breath. He winced involuntarily, struggled, but as he had proven to be yesterday and all morning so far, Yuki was stronger it seemed, for whatever twisted reason. Kyo was thinking this angel of love gig wasn't worth it, but a sharp memory of soulless black eyes reminded him differently, so he let his gaze slowly meet Yuki's as he stilled his motion.

"I don't care if you're an angel or a devil. I don't care who you are. But Honda-san is..." he trailed off here and looked away, bangs falling across one eye, making Yuki seem even more distant than before. "Special. So play nice or I won't be responsible." His high and mighty air once again proved to get under Kyo's skin. He wriggled slightly, trying to slip his arms out of Yuki's hold, where his hands now rested around his wrists, pinning them to the locker surface. He couldn't even budge.

"What? You like her or something?" Kyo muttered half to himself but saw a flicker of pain in Yuki's eyes as the words left his mouth.

"...no," Yuki said and Kyo noticed for the first time how close they were and how very alone they were...the hall empty and him in one of the most uncomfortable positions he could distinctly remember. "Not like that," Yuki's voice was tinged with a sad reverberation, like a dead laugh. Kyo shivered unintentionally.

"So why do you care?" Kyo was curious too though.

"Stupid cat," Yuki gave him that trademark I-know-something-you-don't-know stare, tilting his head to one side.

Again Kyo was reminded of how close they were. He could feel Yuki's breath brushing his cheek and almost he thought he felt the race of his pulse too. How strange...how odd...but something...that something from before was stirring again...making itself known. Alarmed, Kyo tried with more force than before to shove Yuki away, trying to gather his bearings again.

"Swear." Yuki stated. Hell, it was a command.

"What?" Kyo found his voice a bit lower than it usually was, which didn't help matters.

"Swear it. You'll at least _try _and act civil to her." And then, as if it was a coy afterthought, Yuki added, dropping his own voice an octave, "I know trying is probably the best you can do, right?" It was a stab and a twist in more ways than the earth boy could possibly know. Maybe that was what gave Kyo the unexpected rush of adrenaline and added strength to not only shove but nearly throw Yuki off of him.

"I don't have to promise you anything, damn rat! I'll find the office myself!" Kyo shouted angrily and stormed off in the direction they had been headed, hoping it was indeed the right way. Behind him Yuki ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply.

What had he just done?

He knew he was protective...overprotective of Tohru. He couldn't help it. She had been the first person to give him a bit of light, a glimpse of hope...a taste of what it was to be free, to have someone not only see him for who he was, but accept him too.

All his faults, all his feelings...well, most of them.

For a time he had been, in addition to grateful to her, enamored of her, completely and without thought. Over time he'd come to let that feeling go, however, and now in its place lived an immovable feeling of love, simple, undeniable love, but not the kind he'd once thought. No, this was more forgiving. And besides, he didn't think he could give her what she truly deserved. Something broken and something whole didn't make much sense to Yuki Sohma, and he would hate himself too much to be the fracture in her life. He loved her that much.

But odd wasn't it, Yuki had realized some time after this gentler love had settled in, that he had never been attracted to her. This first came as a shock, and then as a confusion, but eventually he let this go too.

He was always letting things go.

Someone hurting her, inadvertently or not, however, could not be overlooked. Thoughts falling back on orange hair and a cat like personality, Yuki sighed again, arms folded over his chest. He had some time before the bell rang. Maybe he'd go to the student council room. No doubt Kakeru would be there making all sorts of mischief, driving Nao up the wall and Machi would be quietly doing work...what a team.

He allowed himself a slip of a smile.

Kakeru, what an odd, infectious character he was. Yuki knew sometimes he was jealous of him. He attributed this to his less than care-free past...most of his life actually, but inside he knew even this was mostly his own cowardly way of slithering away from facing those problems that caused his jealousy and his distance from most people. Of all of them only Tohru had broken through.

Maybe with his persistence, Kakeru was making the effort to be the second and as this thought passed, Yuki felt an arm slip around his shoulders.

"Yun-Yun! I knew I'd find you lurking! You're always on the outside," Kakeru's cheery voice had layers to the tone and Yuki stared, wide-eyed at his fast appearance and odd statement. "Come on, let's go. Machi's done with the morning files already and Nao's throwing a fit. It's great fun," he continued blithely and surprising Yuki for the second time pulled the President closer to him, arm still around him. "Yuki's cousin is on the outside too, ne?"

Yuki couldn't begin to dignify that with an answer if he'd had one to give.

And thinking on it as Kakeru seemingly prattled on, Yuki realized he didn't have one.

The bell rang signaling the beginning of the first class of the day and the Vice President and President re-aligned their course for first hour, since it so happened that they had all the same classes as well.

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Slumped forward in one of the office chairs, Kyo rested with his face in his hands.

What a morning, and the first bell had only just rung. That fact fresh in mind, Kyo noted dryly he'd be late to his first class too, whatever that was. He groaned lightly and looked up through messy bangs as the secretary called his name.

"Kyo...? Is there a last name…with that?" the secretary's brow was furrowed and her mouth puckered in that typical busybody fashion. Clearly Kyo's lack of a surname had thrown a wrench in her well-oiled system.

"Ah..." shit, shit, shit, Kyo's brain went into a marvelous spasm and he flashed on Yuki's introduction of him..._my cousin_... "Sohma!" he blurted.

"Ah Sohma?" the lady blinked, demeanor growing more accommodating and patient than before, tenfold. "You're related to Sohma Yuki, then? I see, well just sit down and we'll have things right for you straight away," she offered him a clearly forced but all too bright smile and busied herself with accomplishing that very task. Kyo shuffled back to his seat, slouching now. It seemed everyone, teachers, staff, students...everyone looked up to or respected Yuki Sohma. How did he do it? That affable grace and smooth exterior, how did he manage?

Jealous, jealous, jealous...but why?

Because he's everything you never were, everything you never will be...

That thought sounded disturbingly like something _that one_...the one with endless black eyes...had once said to him: _you're nothing...and no one cares about a nothing...no one can see a nothing...and that's what you are Kyo...but don't worry I see you...I see you for the nothing you are, but I see you...**I'm the only one**..._

A sharp stinging welled behind his eyes, in his temples and Kyo bit his lip. It would be just the icing on the cake if he started to cry in the main office...that aside Kyo couldn't remember the last time he'd cried...if he ever had. He wasn't about to start now in any case. Stubbornness won and he walked with his schedule and new student file out of the office with a carefully constructed mask of apathy.

This earth place...that had to be it...and these earth people with all their crazy emotions...that Yuki with his...whatever.

Damn Yuki...damn Yuki.

_I see you. **I'm the only one**. _

Kyo had stopped as that echo came back and a tug on his sleeve made him turn to look down into familiar, worried brown eyes.

"Kyo-kun?" Tohru stared anxiously up at him. Remembering his interesting interaction with Yuki not an hour and a half ago, he forced a sad excuse for a smile. Down the hall he caught violet eyes watching him carefully before silver hair shielded them as Yuki turned away and disappeared into the between-class crowd.

"I'm fine," Kyo said in the most convincing tone he could muster, something between okay and confused, but it seemed to work because Tohru nodded and asked him what class he had next and if he needed help and...and...and...his head was spinning. So many emotions from one person...all these other people...

Angels were sensitive, even ones like Kyo, to the feelings of every living thing, every soul, every piece of a soul...this environment was making him a bit nauseous at this point...not revolted, but he felt sick...dizzy. Absently he brought a hand to his face, trying to make the world stop its revolving door imitation.

"Kyo-kun, are you sure you're okay?" she asked in that timid and generously kind tone of hers. Again he forced a half-smile, this one coming just a margin easier than the last.

"Yeah," he said just as a hand slapped him hard on his back.

"Kyon! 'Sup? What's your next class?" Kakeru. Kyo, with some misgiving handed over his schedule, and Kakeru pumped the air enthusiastically with a fist. "Yun-Yun's in that class, me too! Let's go Kyon! Bye Honda-sannnnn!" Kakeru waved cheekily as he linked his arm through Kyo's, and proceeded to drag Kyo, who dragged his heels, toward said class.

People laughed, giggles, stared and smiled at the antics of the Vice President and the soon-to-be-well-known transfer, Kyo.

Kyo let himself be dragged with no real hope of escaping Kakeru's rather overwhelming persona any time soon. Soon they came to the classroom door and as Kakeru pushed him inside Kyo was once again hit with wave after wave of emotion, what with all the students sitting there rather than milling about, it was all rather concentrated. He felt light-headed but forced the feeling down as he spotted a familiar head of silver hair. Yuki, surprisingly, wasn't at all focused on the front of the class as Kyo had thought the teacher's pet surely would be. Instead, his desk near the window, in the front row—this at least made sense—Yuki's gaze was clearly on something through the pristine glass window.

He was daydreaming. How...unexpected, was Kyo's thought as Kakeru explained all too eagerly the reason for him being there to the teacher who wore, Kyo was amused to see, a look of suffering not unlike his own. Kakeru had his own effect on people it seemed, but most, even this teacher, also liked him, it was clear. The way their eyes danced said so, even if their overall demeanors did not.

"Class, this is our new student, a transfer, Kyo Sohma, please treat him well." Succinct and easy, Kyo was only too glad to slide into an empty seat next to a girl with dark brown hair, so dark it might have been black, a bit past shoulder-length. In front of him was Yuki, and next to Yuki of course, was Kakeru. Slowly Kyo found himself spacing out as well, eyes drawn to the way the tree outside waved in the breeze, how the sunlight looked so much more inviting than this fluorescent crap they had in the classroom. Then something poked him in the side. He turned slightly. The girl was smiling a little too widely at him and before he could ask her why the hell she was looking at him like a prize at a fair, she slipped a paper over to him.

With some foreboding, he unfolded it. The message was short but lethal.

_You're cute. My name's Kagura, what's yours?_

Yep, this assignment was going to kill him.

* * *

FINALLY an update! Not beta-ed or however you say it. Sorry! Hope it wasn't too bad. The Yuki and Kyo angle will be further developed, more odd situations, physical and mental, etc, etc, next chapter.

But uh, what'd you think so far?

Reviews equal me very happy fanboy...and apparently bad grammar. 0o

bows apologetically

-slashable Riyu


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